The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-08
stroy on the Upper sankuru, to say nothing of

stroy on the Upper Sankuru, TO say nothing of
the many stations of slavcrs far up the Congo
and between that river and Lake Tanganyika.
1t has big contract on hand if ii intends to
clear its territory Of Arab slayers.
One day when Dr. Wolf was tranping
through forest he suddenly came to a grassy
opening and saw before him large village
OF the Batua dwaIfs, whom Stanley heard Of
when lac first descended the Congo, though he
dld not sec them. These curious little crca-
lures, who are spread over q large extent Of
country south Of the Congo, are very similar
to the 4 kka dwaris whom Schwin-
lurth discovered north of that
river. They are timid little folks, and they
woulddoubtless have run awayif they had seen
DR.. Wolf before he suddenly appeared among
them. He found them living in mean-look-
ing grass huts. Around their village were
many carefully covered pitfalls, nine TO twelve
feet deep, which they had dug for the purpose
of catching any elephants, bufaloes and wild
bears that might venture ont Of the forest to
feed In the grassy glade where the dwaris
lived.
At first the dwaris quaking with fear,
gazed on the white man from a distance, but
finally they became quite friendly. They are
little over four feet high, are coffee brown
in color, and arc well-shaped. They make no
attempt to cultivate the soil, but live solely
by hunting, with their bows and arrows and
spears. They dry good deal Of meat, which
they sell among the neighboring tribes for In
dian corn, manioc, and other vegetable
products Lukengo, the king of one large
tribe Keeps quite a number Of Batua in his
service, and it is their business to provide game
and palm wine for the kings table. DIR. Wolf
says they are exceedingly skillful in the man
agement Of their bows, arrows and spears
Tho Baluba, whom Wolf and Wissman
found about $50 miles south Of the junction of
the Kassai and Sankuru rivers, arc among the
gentest and most intelligent people who have
been found in Africa. They have, however,
one exceedingly bad practice. DR.. Wolf says
that they have become very fond of guns
since trading tribes who live nearer the white
men have introduced these weapons among
them, and they will sell their daughters and
even their wives TO procure guns
and ammunition. These people have
many excellent proverbs and maXims such
as these Law is better than force" and
Life IS better than wealth" They are re-
gaTded as being, iii most respects, peculiarly
aInenable to ciyilizing influences. For all
that, they support one OF the greatest native
slave markets in Africa, and Dr. Wolf SAYS 1t
Will take long time and strong ciyilizing in
tluonccs before their devotion to the slave trade
will cease. They do not understand that there
is anything wrong in selling their wives and
children There is this striking peculiar
ltY, however, about their slave trade
They buy thousands of slaves every
year from the other tribes and they
treat them SO well that the slaves can hardly
be distinguished by stranger from members
Of the tribe. In their export slave trade, rs q
rule they sell only troublesome individuals
whom they are anxious to get rid Of. A while
ago the people in South Baluba became very
much dissatisfied with one of their chiefs,
whose numerous wars with other tribes cost
the lives of many Of his subjects. They finally
decided that the best way to get rid of him
was to sell him into slavery. They put him
up Tor sale in the great slave market at Mu-
kenge, and were glad to let him go for ten
goats, which they killed, and divided the meat
among the relatives of some of the men who
had lost their lives in his battles.
When iDr Wolf told one sBaluba chief
that he was very wrong to sell his wives, the
chief took him apart and explained to him in
confidence that the Baluba never sold good
wives, but only troublesome women whom
they could not get along with.